“It’s actually sacrificing some of your resources and your time and just going out there and working, trying to take care of anything that is hindering their wellbeing and their quality of life,” he said.
“We have probably five different roof jobs where were just gonna redo the whole roof. But then there’s a lot of plumbing issues, a lot of little leaks, a lot of fixtures that don’t work or leak,” Addy said. “We’re building two handicap ramps for elderly women who are disabled.”

Addy said they’re also helping out some single mothers who don’t have to skills or resources to do the repair themselves.

He said the work brings the volunteers close to the homeowner, and closer to each other as well.

“Stronger friendships, relationships, and … it just puts a little more hope back in the community, also,” Addy said.

The project kicked off at 9 a.m. Monday. The group will work for free until 7 p.m. each night.

After graduating from the University of Michigan, Sandra McNeill started her career as a newspaper reporter in a small town in England called Wokingham. Her daily walk to the police station to find out what was happening that day invariably came up...